Dharma: Short Note based on Vaisnavism

The aim of life is inquiry into the Truth, and not the desire for enjoyment in heaven by performing religious rites, Those who possess the knowledge of the Truth, call the knowledge of non-duality as the Truth, It is called Brahman, the Highest Self, and Bhagavan.

— Sūta, Bhagavata Purana 1.2.10-11

With this advice about life, Lord Krishna make sure that Truth shall triumph always. Many people who has doubt that “Why Should God need to take Avataar (an Indian term of God incarnation on earth)?” must understand that, it is not about proving power to mortal beings that I am exist.

It is an example to installed that, Look I can suffer like you. I can also face consequence of my actions, I can make mistakes, I can do things which seems unexplained to you but still you can elevate your life to a level where you will be treated like God.

Vaisnavism which is sect, oriented around Lord Vishnu incarnation on earth is just another divide sect into Hinduism. Please Note that, when I said “another divide sect” that doesn’t mean that they don’t follow Hinduism or they are division to Hinduism. They are simply focused and learn Dharma, Vedas and Gyana (Spiritual knowledge ) through incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is considered as last partial incarnation of lord Vishnu by Vaishanavas.

What is Dharma according to Vaishanavas?

Dharma has been explained by many sect, Historical figures and Indian epics as “Way of living righteously”. Some people define it as “Living as per guideline provided by Vedic scriptures” . Few Consider it “Just an Indian thing to follow”. While many sub religion which is departed from Hinduism like Sikhism, Buddhism & Jainism, Explains “Dharma” as an eternal duty of human and nature which they have to follow as pre-condition to score place on heaven.

Dharma is the way of living with righteous karma (actions) simultaneously not attach with materialistic world too much.

Even though, Dharma has variable meaning which can be explained by following example:-

What is Dharma of Water? Being cool in nature. What is Dharma of Fire? being Hot in nature. But than this question arise that how dharma can have multiple definitions. It could be understood by understanding the concept of Sawdharma(Self-Righteous nature/actions).

Sawdharma is natural gunas (properties given by nature to living and non living beings).

Gunas is defined into three categories: Sattava, Rajasa and Tamasa.

As per Hindu philosophy, these Gunas always there with Human birth. You can observed that a child in its initial stage has various natural response towards outside world. Few children are very receptive towards another children, while other are too naughty.

Children’s represent very fundamental amount of these Gunas. These fundamental mixture amount of Gunas in Human subconscious mind at very early stage in Sawdharma.

Richard Freeman Explains about Gunas

As Humans learn from their environment, they started to their choice of food, their inclination moves towards their Sawdharma. It is possible to against own sawdharma, which required right practice of living. Many might be compared these three guanas by understanding that “Tamas” is bad nature. I would like to explain that, according to Hindu philosophy, these gunas are interwoven in various ration in human nature. No human can be considered as absolute Tamas, Rajas and Sattav.

Vaishanavasim is an attempt to absolute the sattav gun in human nature. That’s where I found them wrong. They are trying to break the law of nature. Nature resists any artificial attempt of modification into human nature. Even artificial attempt of changing behavior, Life style and societies meet with their consequence. We can see this in daily life.

Artificial attempt to make our life easy is leading us to disease like obesity, diabetes, cancer etc. Artificial attempt to change natural landscape leading us Global warming, Water wars and reducing landscapes. Human artificial attempts to sub-diverse the nature is leading us towards a time when we are going to pay heavily. We have not learnt or may be forgotten to co-exist with nature. This population bomb and concentrated nature on only human growth is leading us to disasters.

Human must leave this monotheistic approach that Humans are best amongst other animals. How can we forget that from thousands of years, Humans have been live in fear from other animals. When we able to developed language and collective understanding or working, than only we are able to raise the scale of living.

Human can not be above than other creation created by God itself. God can not discriminate with humans and other animal.

With this note, I must say that Dharma is more than only following righteous way of living. It’s about having harmony with nature. Learning about our place in universe and rather than capturing and trying to become modern God, it’s about living peacefully, less competitive society, Living with family without fear of war and genocide, living with mutually respected environment with others faith and ideas.